Advances in Bioenergy and Microfluidic Applications

Since fossil fuels suffer from dangerous side effects for the environment and their resources are limited, bioenergy attracted many attentions in various aspects as an alternative solution. Therefore, increasing number of researches are conducted every year and the processes updated frequently to make them more economic and industrially beneficial. Advances in Bioenergy and Microfluidic Applications reviews recent developments in this field and covers various advanced bio-applications, which rarely are reviewed elsewhere. The chapters are started from converting biomass to valuable products and continues with applications of biomass in water-treatment, novel sorbents and membranes, refineries, microfluidic devices and etc. The book covers various routes for gaining bioenergy from biomass. Their composition, carbon contents, heat production capacities and other important factors are reviewed in details in different chapters. Then, the processes for upgrading them directly and indirectly (using metabolic engineering and ultrasonic devices) to various fuels are explained. Each process is reviewed both technically and economically and the product analysis is given. Besides, the effect of various catalysts on increasing selectivity and productivity are taken into account. Biofuels are compared with fossil fuels and challenges in the way of bioenergy production are explained. Moreover, advanced bio-applications in membranes, adsorption, waste water treatment, microfluidic devices and etc. are introduced. This book provides a good insight about such bioprocesses and microfluidics devices for researchers, students, professors and related departments and industries that care about energy resources and curious about recent advances in related methods and technologies. Despite other books which review biomass chemistry and conversion, the current book emphasize on the application of biomass in the mentioned areas. Therefore, one can gain a better and more comprehensive insight by reading the book.

• Describes energy production from biomass, biomass conversion, their advantages and limitations
• Describes the application of biomass in membranes, sorbents, water-treatment, refineries, and microfluidic devices
• Offers a future outlook of bioenergy production and possibility to apply in the industries

Prof. Mohammad Reza Rahimpour is a professor in Chemical Engineering at Shiraz University, Iran. He received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Shiraz University joint with University of Sydney, Australia 1988. He started his independent career as Assistant Professor in September 1998 at Shiraz University. Prof. M.R. Rahimpour, was a Research Associate at University of California, Davis from 2012 till 2017. During his stay in University of California, he developed different reaction networks and catalytic processes such as thermal and plasma reactors for upgrading of lignin bio-oil to biofuel with collaboration of UCDAVIS. He has been a Chair of Department of Chemical Engineering at Shiraz University from 2005 till 2009 and from 2015 till 2020. Prof. M.R. Rahimpour leads a research group in fuel processing technology focused on the catalytic conversion of fossil fuels such as natural gas, and renewable fuels such as bio-oils derived from lignin to valuable energy sources. He provides young distinguished scholars with perfect educational opportunities in both experimental methods and theoretical tools in developing countries to investigate in-depth research in the various field of chemical engineering including carbon capture, chemical looping, membrane separation, storage and utilization technologies, novel technologies for natural gas conversion and improving the energy efficiency in the production and use of natural gas industries.

Dr. Mohammad Amin Makarem is an Adjunct Lecturer at the School of Engineering, Taylor’s University, Malaysia. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Shiraz University, Iran. His research covers gas separation and purification, green energy, nanofluids, microfluidics, and catalyst synthesis. Beyond research, he has extensive experience as an editor and contributor to academic publishing, serving as Editor or Co-editor for many books, book series, and major reference works from leading academic publishers. His editorial work spans topics such as carbon capture and storage, bioenergy, greenhouse gases, hydrotreating, oily wastewater, chemical industry crises, hydrogen and methanol energy production, homogeneous catalysis, synthesis gas, natural gas, and renewable energy systems. He recently served as series editor for Advances in Biotechnology: Methods, Applications, and Case Studies and has reviewed manuscripts for prominent international journals, helping guide researchers and industry through high-impact resources.

Reza Kamali is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering Department at the Shiraz University; one of the most prestigious universities in Iran. He teaches graduate and under graduate courses and conduct researches in the area of microfluidics, nanofluidics, biofluidics, energy systems, drug delivery, and alternative energy sources. He has over 24 years of academic and industrial experience and served in several public and private boards and panels and he has supervised several undergraduate, masters and PhD students as well as publishing many papers in high ranked journals and conferences. He also has several international collaborations with other international research teams in universities such as Dublin City University, University of Calgary, University of Brighton, and University of Wyoming.

Mohammad Karim Dehghan Manshadi is a research assistant at Shiraz University. His research has focused on microfluidics, nanofluidics, biofluidics, and drug delivery and he published several papers in high ranked journals. He also has various international collaborations with Dublin City University and University of Calgary.